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The opening video was a greatly edited piece on TNA champ Jeff Hardy.
James Storm came to the ring and said that he was out here to have a little bit of fun with the fans. He mentioned the attack on last Thursday's Impact Wrestling by Aces & Eights and saw Bobby Roode giving them the thumbs up. He said Roode should have shoved it up his rear end. Storm said he is here to kick Roode's ass before he gets a chance to win the TNA title and have a celebration. He demanded Roode come out and get his ass kicked.
Instead, Frankie Kazarian came out and said that Willie Nelson once sang "Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys" and Nelson was specifically talking about Storm. He said that besides AJ Styles, Storm is the biggest man-baby in TNA. Kaz said Storm is a drunk as well, but lately he's been sticking his nose in other people's business, so Kaz has come out to do everyone a service. He told Storm to cut his "dime store Toby Keith" routine and go ride off into the sunshine (well, that's what he said).
Storm said he was sitting backstage all day waiting to cut a promo and that's the best he has to come up with? Storm said he doesn't like the sunshine but drinks the moonshine. The fans chanted for Storm to kick his ass, so Storm invited him to come take Roode's ass-kicking, "if his boyfriend gives him permission." Kaz said he wasn't there to engage in fisticuffs and there was no referee out here.
Storm said that where he is from, he didn't need a referee to whip Kaz's ass. Kaz tried to walk out but a referee made Kaz return towards the ring. They started brawling around ringside with Storm being in control.
They battled into the ring and the match was official.
James Storm vs. Kazarian
Storm used a Lou Thesz Press and beat down Kazarian with a series of right hands. Kazarian came back with a clothesline and smothered Storm against the ropes, standing on his back. Kaz then used his boot to choke Storm in the corner.
Kaz brought Storm to the floor and worked him over, throwing him into the guard rail. He rolled Storm back into the ring for a two count. The crowd chanted for Storm but Kazarian kept nailing him with shot after shot. Kazarian locked in a cravate. He ground down Storm on the mat but The Cowboy fought back with a series of shots to the mid-section.
Storm nailed a series of clotheslines and a flying forearm, followed by a double underhook throw. Kazarian cut him off near the ropes and leapt into the ring for a DDT, scoring a two count. Storm mounted another comeback, nailing an inverted Codebreaker.
Storm rallied the crowd and went for the Last Call superkick but Kaz hid behind the referee. Kaz went for the Fade to Black for Storm rolled through. He went for a clothesline but Kaz ducked and turned into the Last Call superkick. Storm covered the pin.
Your winner, James Storm!
Really fun opener. The promos were great. Kaz has really improved as a talker over the last year and this was a hell of an example of that. Storm came off like a bonafide star in every respect and the impromptu nature of the match felt important. It was a different way to kick off the show and was entertaining.
The announcers reviewed the attack on Jeff Hardy that Bobby Roode orchestrated on Impact last week. They showed footage of each of them arriving at the Impact Zone.
TNA X-Division champ Rob Van Dam vs. Kenny King
They shook hands before the bell.
Van Dam used a standing side headlock early to control King. RVD used a droptoehold to escape a standing hammerlock. King used a rolling pinfall attempt on RVD. The announcers painted this as a dream match for King as RVD's ECW run inspired him.
King nailed several big moves including a martial arts kick, which led to RVD going to the floor and looking impressed. He returned to the ring and nailed King with a round kick to the hamstring. Van Dam nailed a series of kicks. King and Van Dam exchanged a series of armdrags. Van Dam nailed a kick to the quads but was whipped into the corner bt King. RVD kicked him off and went to the top but King nailed a leaping kick. RVD crashed into the railing.
King asked the camera, "Did you see that?" before bringing RVD back to the ring for a two count. He locked in a sitting abdominal stretch, wearing the champion down. RVD used a knee to the face to break the hold. Both men fought to regain their composure. King was covered for a two count, then whipped into the corner. RVD nailed a spinkick for another two count.
RVD was cut off and locked in a combination hammerlock surfboard but was kicked by RVD. Van Dam charged King in the corner but was elevated and dropped on the ropes, crotching himself. King nailed him with a big kick. King covered him for a two count.
King and RVD battled back and forth with punches. King grabbed him and nailed a sideslam. He went for a slingshot splash into the ring but RVD pulled his knees up. King went for a clothesline but RVD absorbed it and nailed one of his one. RVD nailed a somersault into a monkey flip, then nailed Rolling Thunder for another two count.
Van Dam went to the top but was grabbed by King. RVD fought him off and nailed a glancing Ryder Kick. RVD went for the Five Star Frog splash but missed. King went for the Royal Flush but RVD escaped and used a rolling body scissors to capture King and score the pin.
Your winner and still X-Division champion, Rob Van Dam!
A good match. This was a bout designed to make King look stronger by competing hard and taking it to RVD and was one of the more entertaining RVD matches of late. It was good, solid stuff. King showed flashes of nice charisma during his entrance and his comment to the camera.
Jeremy Borash interviewed Christopher Daniels, who was enjoying a big Appletini. He said that he's wrestled AJ Styles more times than anyone else and around the world, and that's fact , not hyperbole. He said that when you look at all the matches that they have had, all of them have just been a prologue for tonight. He said history is written by the victor and history will read that Daniels is the better man, and that's not hyperbole, but fact. Good promo.
TNA Tag Team champions Hernandez & Chavo Guerrero vs. Joey Ryan & Matt Morgan
Holy hell is Morgan tan.
Ryan and Guerrero kicked off the bout. Ryan cut him off with a big right hand but Guerrero came back with a series of uppercuts and right hands of his own. Guerrero nailed him with a short arm clothesline and tagged Hernandez. Hernandez worked over Ryan and tagged Guerrero back in.
Ryan was able to tag Morgan. Hernandez tried to used a drop toehold to no effect. Hernandez tagged in and he and Morgan went shoulderblock to shoulderblock with neither man budging. Hernandez used a series of flying shoulder tackles to knock Morgan backwards but he couldn't take him down. Morgan nailed a roaring clothesline as Hernandez reounded off the ropes.
Ryan tagged back in and ended up in a long standing delayed suplex. The champions took turns tagging in and out, working over Ryan. They whipped him into the corner, followed by Chavo whipping Ryan into a leaping splash.
Hernandez was tricked into arguing with the referee, allowing Morgan to grab Chavo and slam him into the buckles from the outside. Ryan covered Chavo for a two count, then tagged his big man. Morgan used his boot to choke out Chavo. Ryan tagged out and used a neck vice to wear down Chavo.
Guerrero fought back with a series of rights but was nailed with a dropkick as he rebounded across the ring. Ryan held Chavo as Morgan charged for a kick to the mid-section. Morgan choked him against the top rope. Ryan returned to the ring and continued the attack. Chavo tried to fight back but was cut off and nailed with a series of shoulderblocks in the corner. Ryan used a running axehandle on Guerrero, showing respect to former WWF champion Rip.
Hernandez finally makes the hot tag and cleans house on Ryan, who bumped all over for him and took a big backdrop. Morgan tried to distract Hernandez, allowing Ryan to nail him from behind. Ryan still got caught with a tiltowhirl backbreaker. Morgan broke up the pin
Morgan nailed a big suplex on Hernandez. Hernandez worked over Ryan but Morgan nailed him from behind. Chavo hit a missile dropkick on Morgan, who was then clotheslined from behind by Hernandez, going over the top and landing on his feet. Chavo hit a frog splash on Ryan but Morgan pulled the referee out of the ring. The ref called for the DQ.
Your winners by DQ and still TNA Tag Team champions, Chavo Guerrero and Hernandez!
Chavo tried to nail a dive on Morgan but was caught and run into the ringpost. Hernandez, enraged, hit a monster dive over the top on Morgan. Morgan and Ryan backed up, with Morgan promising this wasn't over. Hernandez watched over Guerrero, who was selling a back injury.
OK match. They told a decent story and the monster vs. monster spots were booked perfectly. The dive at the end was a cool visual. This seemed like they were laying down the first chapter for a longer story.
Jeremy Borash interviewed Austin Aries backstage. Aries said that the one question he keeps being asked is why is so upset and concerned about Bully Ray when it's not his business. He said that TNA needs the straw to stir the collective cocktail's drink and that's what he's going to do. Aries says that until justice is served and he gets what is his, he's going to be the squeaky wheel getting the grease. He said, "Mark, Bully, what are you going to do, brother, when Austin-Mania runs wild on you?"
Coverage continues on Page 2!
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